King Charles rewrites royal travel rules with high mileage

King Charles has quietly flipped the script on royal travel and in doing so he earned praise for practising what he preaches when it comes to sustainability.

Once known for giving helicopters a distinctly frosty reception (palace insiders joked he would “raise an eyebrow” at the very suggestion), the King has now embraced the aircraft as a surprisingly green solution for a modern, working monarchy. 

The shift became official in June 2024, when Buckingham Palace confirmed the household would take delivery of two newly leased helicopters designed to be cleaner, efficient, and compatible with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

The Royal Family’s twin AugustaWestland AW139 helicopters have logged around 58,000 miles in just nine months, clocking more than 420 flying hours as they ferried senior royals across the UK. 

Far from joyrides, aides stress the aircraft are being used strategically allowing multiple engagements in a single day.

Princess Anne has emerged as the most frequent flyer, with data showing 68 landings at Gatcombe Park, her Gloucestershire home. 

Prince William follows closely behind, with 47 stops in Windsor and several more at Forest Lodge as he settles into family life there. 

Sandringham, Dumfries House, Lacock and Buckingham Palace have also featured heavily on the flight map.

William, whose Earthshot Prize has placed environmental leadership at the heart of his public role, has used the helicopters to attend everything from England women’s football training sessions to rugby matches and climate-focused events.

Tim Fauchon, chief executive of the British Helicopter Association, has praised Charles for “leading by example,” noting that the Royal Flight actively seeks out airfields able to supply SAF, even when it comes at a higher cost. 

Critics, meanwhile, have raised eyebrows at the sheer volume of flights with data suggesting as many as 700 individual journeys if short stops are counted separately. 

But palace officials are unapologetic. Helicopters according to them they are essential for reaching remote communities and ensuring the monarchy remains visible “throughout the length and breadth of the UK.”

As one official put it bluntly: invest in the asset, then “sweat it.”